Energy, Estonia, Legislation, USA

"Eesti Energia rents, to a lesser extent, federal land but Eesti Energia had valid agreements concerning them and there is no reason to think at the moment that they would become invalid when the amendments come in force," said the company.

Eesti Energia said that the U.S. government controls two thirds of oil shale reserves in Utah and sets rules for their use. The majority of land Eesti Energia uses is in private ownership. Eesti Energia has in Utah 30,000 acres of land and just 5,120, i.e. 15% of it is federal land.

The statements that became public today were not a desperate attempt of Enefit but a part of analysis offered by Enefit, Eesti Energia said, adding that Enefit's development and production plans in the private land it uses are not affected by the plans of the government to reduce the amount of land where oil shale can be used.

Eesti Päevaleht wrote on Thursday that the oil-shale oil production business plans of Estonian state-owned energy company Eesti Energia in the USA might come to an end if the amendments to the oil shale mining industry that were revealed at the end of March by the U.S. government come in force.